'I think there is a great chance of her still being alive': Kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart says there is still hope for missing British girl Madeleine McCannBy Daily Mail ReporterPUBLISHED: 15:38 GMT, 7 May 2012 | UPDATED: 15:41 GMT, 7 May 2012 Comments (0) Share Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped and held captive for nine months when she was just 14, has revealed she thinks there is a 'great chance' that missing British girl Madeleine McCann is still alive.

Speaking with Anderson Cooper, Ms Smart said she believes Maddy, who was just three when she was kidnapped during a family holiday to Portugal in 2007, might be being raised by another family.'With her being as young as what she was, I think there is a great chance of her still being alive and being out there whether she's been sold or whether someone's trying to take her or raise her as their own,' Ms Smart said in the interview that will air on Tuesday night.

Hope: Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped and held captive for nine months aged 14, has said she believes British kidnap victim Madeleine McCann could still be aliveIt is nearly five years since the kidnapping of Madeleine McCann, who was snatched from her family's holiday apartment as she slept alongside her twin siblings while her parents dined nearby.Returning regularly to check on the children, the McCann's realised their daughter had been taken an hour later - and the young girl, who would now be nine, has never been found. More...McCanns vow they will 'never give up' on missing Maddie as couple take part in charity run Fresh hope for family of missing Susan Powell as father-in-law's porn trial could reveal new clues about her disappearance

Ms Smart's own abduction came at the hands of Brian David Mitchell, who kidnapped her during the night from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah in June 2002 when she was 14.

She has taken an interest in the McCann's case after running the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which works to educate parents and guardians to prevent children from going missing. Mystery: Maddy, left, was days away from her fourth birthday when she was snatched from her parents' holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007. An image, right, shows how she would look now, aged nine

Grief: Smart said Maddy's disappearance five years ago has left a gap in Gerry and Kate McCann's livesSpeaking with Cooper, she recounted meeting Maddy's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, who have made numerous public appearances begging for information on their daughter's whereabouts.'They are a wonderful family,' she said. 'But at the same time it's very saddening seeing this gap in their family that's been left by Madeleine. She still is very much a part of their lives.'When you see a glimpse into what their lives are, you know how very much they do care for her.'She also gave parents advice on protecting their children by encouraging them to kick out and make a scene if they ever feel they are in danger.'They need to realise that they are the most important thing in your life, that they are absolutely irreplaceable,' she said. Advice: Speaking with Anderson Cooper in an interview that will air on Tuesday, Smart said parents need to tell their children to kick out if they think they are in danger

'[They need to realise] there is nothing, if they were to be put in a situation that they were scared or worried for their safety or they thought someone was going to kidnap them, there is nothing as valuable as they are and they should be able to break, push over, whatever it is to raise attention to themselves so that some help can come.'So that they don't be kidnapped, so that they're not hurt. Whether it's yelling or kicking. If they are in a store, they push over a TV, whatever it is.'She also remembered the advice her own mother had given her the morning after she returned.

'She stopped me as I walked out of her bedroom and she said, "Elizabeth, what this man has done to you is terrible",' Ms Smart said.

'"There aren't words strong enough to describe how wicked and evil he is. He has taken nine months of your life that you can never get back again. Don't give him another minute. Abducted: In June 2002, a 14-year-old Smart was stolen from her Utah home during the night Looking forward: When she returned home, her mother urged her to be happy as that would be the worst punishment for her captors, she said"'The best punishment you can ever give him is to be happy, is to follow your dreams and do exactly what you want to do."'Adding that she was now 'very happy', she also recounted her recent wedding to Scotsman Matthew Gilmour in a Mormon temple in Hawaii. 'It was great. It was perfect. I wouldn't change it,' she said.Her positivity comes just days after she talked of her torment after being kidnapped, saying she 'felt dirty and filthy and worthless' when he declared she was his 'wife' and raped her.

In a moving speech in Palm Beach on Friday, she also revealed her fears that she would be killed by her captor - she even begged him to leave her body somewhere where her family could find it.She told the gathering of lawyers in Palm Beach that she initially thought she was dreaming when Brian David Mitchell threatened her with a knife, according to the Palm Beach Daily News.'In that moment, I felt my only choice was to get up and go with this man if I didn't want to die,' she said. 'I thought it was life or death.' Wedded bliss: Ms Smart with her new husband Matthew Gilmour, whom she married in FebruaryMitchell took her into the mountains, and Elizabeth reflected on stories she had heard of kidnapped children being killed.

She added: 'I said, "If you are just going to rape and murder me, would you please do it here so my family can find my remains," because I wanted them to know that I didn’t run away.

'He turned to me and said, "I'm not going to do that to you yet."'Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee took the girl into their home and he performed a quasi-religious ceremony on her making her his 'wife', then raped her.

'I'll never forget how that made me feel, how dirty and filthy and worthless,' she said.

'I lost all my self-worth in a matter of seconds. I thought, "How could anyone love me again, how could my family accept me back? I thought, "It would be better if he just killed me."' Kidnappers: Brian David Mitchell, left, and Wanda Barzee are in prison for their roles in the horrific crime

But at that point she was inspired by the memory of a time she had been bullied at school and was crying to her mother.

'She said she'd always love me,' Ms Smart said. 'In that moment I decided to do everything in my power to be reunited with my family.'

After nine months of torment, the girl and her captors were spotted in public by a bystander who recognised her from the massive publicity campaign which surrounded her disappearance.

Ms Smart, now 24, concluded by telling her audience that she had not let her horrific experience 'define who I am', and said that she now had a 'great life'.

Mitchell was sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping, while Barzee has served two years of a 15-year sentence.Elizabeth Smart speaks to Anderson

Isn't there a connection between Smart and McCann? Wasn't one of GMs first actions in the days following the 'abduction' to jet over to the States where amongst other things he had a meeting with Smart?

T4two wrote:Isn't there a connection between Smart and McCann? Wasn't one of GMs first actions in the days following the 'abduction' to jet over to the States where amongst other things he had a meeting with Smart?

I'm not sure who got in touch with who first... but yes, they were in contact with each other not long after Madeleine went missing.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong... but I'm sure I read that Elizabeth Smart had visited the Mc's in Rothley.

MaryB, the only vaguely similar case I can think of is that of a 4 year old boy called Simon Jones who disappeared in a park. I can't find anything about the case now so, other than the fact that it was somewhere in England and maybe within the last 20 years, I'm vague on details. He had been given up for dead when he was found in a hostel eight weeks (I think) later with a local misfit.

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Not Born Yesterday wrote:MaryB, the only vaguely similar case I can think of is that of a 4 year old boy called Simon Jones who disappeared in a park. I can't find anything about the case now so, other than the fact that it was somewhere in England and maybe within the last 20 years, I'm vague on details. He had been given up for dead when he was found in a hostel eight weeks (I think) later with a local misfit.

Not Born Yesterday wrote:MaryB, the only vaguely similar case I can think of is that of a 4 year old boy called Simon Jones who disappeared in a park. I can't find anything about the case now so, other than the fact that it was somewhere in England and maybe within the last 20 years, I'm vague on details. He had been given up for dead when he was found in a hostel eight weeks (I think) later with a local misfit.

The important thing to note is in a park. From what I have read statistically, very very few children are abducted by strangers from a place of safety such as home or school, indeed rom indoors at all. Neither do paedophiles break and enter and abduct their victimes.

Don't really know enough about this case, but I think that there was some doubt about a break in. Something not quite ringing true about the case or the parents. I'm not condoning the 'kidnappers' action, but there's more to this than a straightforward abduction imo.

Strange also how the mcs associate with dubious characters who are making a lot of money from 'missing' children. Ernie Allen and Lady Meyer are 2 who spring to mind. There's a lot of money in their pockets and a lot people are not happy with the way they run their supposed charities. Lady Meyer runs PACT and seems to take massive wages from the donations. Greed and a lust for money seems to be the only goal for some folk.

There is another "missing" child in the U.S. Isabel Celis was reportedly taken from her bed during the night of April 20, 2012 when her parents found her missing in the morning. The parents of Isabel appear to have taken a page or two from the McCanns handbook on how to behave when your child disappears. They are reportedly not being very co-operative with authorities and, while they are not the official "focus" of the investigation, the media has been paying close attention to their behaviour. Yesterday the parents attended a charity softball game "to help bring their daughter home". The father is quoted as saying, they "had a lot of fun". Difficult to imagine how you could have a lot of fun when your six year old daughter has been missing for two weeks. The parents are not using the word "kidnapped" but they have borrowed an idea from the McCanns and have set up a Fund to raise money for the search and "support for the family". 20 detectives are reportedly working 24/7 on the search so it doesn't seem at this point the family would need to raise funds for a search - but there you have it, sound familiar??

From all abductions what are the chances that it would be Maddie's that has more hope of being alive instead of others?

If this were a true abduction, it is normal for parents to always hope and believe their child is alive. It is not normal for most people to believe the same. (unless there is some indication she is alive) The onus should be on the parents to show evidence of her being alive to justify expecting others to support their hopes.

This case is based on brainwashing which was enabled from the start with the Portuguese law of secrecy, giving the media only one side of the story to freely report on and the British public to form their initial opinion on those 'facts'.

That first claim of 'abduction' was, imo, the secret to the success of this case. The McCanns used their mantra to brainwash family and friends before anyone could form their own opinions. Once someone forms an opinion, any subsequent suggestions will not be tolerated and the original opinion will be defended at all costs to save face.

HiDeHo wrote:From all abductions what are the chances that it would be Maddie's that has more hope of being alive instead of others?

If this were a true abduction, it is normal for parents to always hope and believe their child is alive. It is not normal for most people to believe the same. (unless there is some indication she is alive) The onus should be on the parents to show evidence of her being alive to justify expecting others to support their hopes.

This case is based on brainwashing which was enabled from the start with the Portuguese law of secrecy, giving the media only one side of the story to freely report on and the British public to form their initial opinion on those 'facts'.

That first claim of 'abduction' was, imo, the secret to the success of this case. The McCanns used their mantra to brainwash family and friends before anyone could form their own opinions. Once someone forms an opinion, any subsequent suggestions will not be tolerated and the original opinion will be defended at all costs to save face.

There are very few people who are willing to admit to being wrong.

You really believe that their friends and family have been "brain washed"?

HiDeHo wrote:From all abductions what are the chances that it would be Maddie's that has more hope of being alive instead of others?

If this were a true abduction, it is normal for parents to always hope and believe their child is alive. It is not normal for most people to believe the same. (unless there is some indication she is alive) The onus should be on the parents to show evidence of her being alive to justify expecting others to support their hopes.

This case is based on brainwashing which was enabled from the start with the Portuguese law of secrecy, giving the media only one side of the story to freely report on and the British public to form their initial opinion on those 'facts'.

That first claim of 'abduction' was, imo, the secret to the success of this case. The McCanns used their mantra to brainwash family and friends before anyone could form their own opinions. Once someone forms an opinion, any subsequent suggestions will not be tolerated and the original opinion will be defended at all costs to save face.

There are very few people who are willing to admit to being wrong.

Some excellent points there, especially the "brainwashing" angle. I'd add that pushing abduction wasn't restricted to the McCanns but was very quickly actively supported by the British authorities i.e. the Prime Minister, the Foreign Office, The Home Secretary and of course in the forefront the British Ambassador. It was however the ex Media Monitoring chappy who really went to town with the brainwashing, or "reputation management" as it's now popularly called.

MaryB wrote:Has there ever been a case when a child as young as Madeleine has been kidnapped, and then returned to her family five years later. I've not heard of one.

Most stranger abductions occur when thechild is alone I believe, so in this case weare expected to accept that this abductorwas presented with 3 very young toddlers,but takes the oldest and leaves the twoyoungest behind.Very 'strange' abduction!